So Thanksgiving is behind us now – let the mad Holiday Season begin – not that the Thanksgiving Day date really stopped many retailers from advertising before that period anyway. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have both passed, or did I hear it’s Cyber Week now!

Brick and Mortar retailers hope to hold same-store-sales figures as close they can to fiscal 2015, but many are hoping not to see too large of a SoS (Season Over Season) percentage drop. Online retailers are of course more encouraged as their numbers steadily raise YoY and SoS. But can anyone really stop Amazon?

As physical retail stores try to remove the ‘friction’ in the patron buying experience, Amazon is taking almost all of the barriers to instant buying gratification away with its relentless pursuit toward long term, happy clients.

Take the example of the Amazon Dash Button. Stick it next to where you shave, and when you feel you’re on your last shave with that blade, well, you can make it last 1 more day until the new ones arrives – all you do is push the Gillette Dash button and you’ll have replacement blades inside 48 hours. No driving to go get them. No getting online and walking through a Cart process – even if it is on your phone. No taking a Keep or Note message to add to your grocery list. Just push that button on a chin shaving down-stroke and you can contemplate more important things in your life.

If the FAA finishes its drone public input phase, and I have a feeling that may move a little faster after our President Elect gets in there, we may not even have to wait 48 hours. It would be down-stroke, push Dash button and by the time you’re finished dressing to walk outside, the package should be there. Any less friction in that transaction and you may just slip and fall while shaving.

If Amazon can keep you in their total supply chain ecosystem, they win big. And good shopping experiences only build more loyalty and client expectations as to how all their retail interactions should be.

With all of these positives going for Amazon, brick & mortar retailers, I call them RealTailors, must capitalize on the human interaction when a store visit is paid. People want people, you can only be so amused by technology for so long – and then it becomes so seamless your human tendencies are to make a change. RealTailors – you better be ready when that happens. Today’s shopper comes into the store with high expectations.

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About berniegollwitzer.com LLC

Science Technologist with professional experience in education and business environments and a strong foundational understanding in the real sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, genetics) coupled with over a decade of selling technology products and services to a wide variety of businesses in the enterprise, mid-market and SMB sectors.